does a mother have to give their children a milk to drink?

Question

well....i always heard that a mother always give their children to drink milk....and some of the mother always force their children to drink milk....i know milk is good and babys need to drink milk too....but...is milk so necessery/good for a child?

Answer 1

It depends.Children under 1 year of age should not consume any cows milk. Please refer to the link for the AAP recs on this. Also, If your child has cramping and diarrhea with milk consumption, then she or he may be lactose intolerant, and milk would not be something that they should have.
The reason for people suggesting that milk be given to children is for the calcium, vit a and d,proteins, etc. that milk contains. If your child does not care for milk, then there are alternative ways to get the same vitamins and minerals into a kid. Many chewable vitamins will have some calcium in them. Also, there is orange juice with calcium added that I drink (lactose intolerant myself). Green leafy vegetables such as spinach also a good source.
Just talk to your doctor to make sure that your child is getting enough calcium and vitamins for his/her age. Milk itself is not the only method of getting what they need each day, it is just an easy way to get it in them!- Blessings- dd
FYI:
Suggested intake - children 2 to 5 years of age:
cow's milk
6 servings/day
one servings equals:
1/2 cup milk, yogurt, pudding
3/4 oz. cheese
1 cup cottage cheese

Answer 2

No human has to ever drink cow's milk. It is an excellent source of calcium, but there are also many other food and beverage choices that contain calcium. Cow's milk also has Vitamin D added to it, but the natural source of Vitamin D comes from the sun. There are a wide variety of reasons a parent would not want their children to drink any or very much cow's milk. They may not be allergic, but there might be a history of milk allergies or intolerance in the family. There are also some people who have concerns over the hormones added to dairy cows diet and believe that any cow's milk or too much cow's milk contributes to early puberty. The mother may also prefer they drink more water so she limits milk consumption. There are any number of reasons she may have for limited milk consumption. They are her children and it really isn't your concern. Seeing mom only 1 minute per day doesn't give you much time to discuss what went on with the kids. Perhaps you can ask for at least one day a week that you can speak with her longer to go over any concerns you may have. If the children are healthy and active it sounds like they are receiving adequate nutrition. It's also possible they receive vitamin supplements such as a child's one a day vitamin. ADDED: I provided child care in my home for 23 years. Even though I was the person caring for the children, I also respected the parents' wishes even when I didn't always agree with them. Don't put the children in a position of doing something behind their mother's back than asking them not to tell. It might not be harmful if they drink milk without their mother's knowledge, but you are giving them the idea that it's OK to keep things from their mom. It would not have a good outcome if another person began abusing them with the same instructions of "don't tell". You never want to put a child in that type of terrifying situation. Do NOT ever do anything and than ask the children not to tell their mom.

Answer 3

The reason most doctors push mothers to give their children milk, is calcium and other nutrients. It's a easy way to give the child the basic nutrients that he/she needs in order to properly grow. If you don't want to give your kid milk, give the kid some Pedi-sure or Gummy Chewables. The should replace the vitamins and nutrients that the child needs.

Answer 4

You should give your child milk, unless the child is allergic to milk.
I see someone has even taken a simple milk question to take a shot at America. So very sad. Not going to deny asker may be American but I don't see that anywhere.

Answer 5

No milk leads to the possibility of not enough calcium in the diet (unless a child eats so well that he is getting calcium from other sources). Growing bodies need calcium to build strong bones. Girls, especially, run the risk of developing osteoporosis when they get old.

Answer 6

Only in America, with all our distorted notions about food, could it even be questioned whether children should receive something as simple, wholesome, and nutritious as milk.

And before someone else espouses the common myth......there are no antibiotics in milk. It is against the law to sell milk from cows on antibiotics.

Chef Mark

Answer 7

ummm i dont know i never drank milk at all and im fine so i guess

Answer 8

strong bones and teeth and orange juice and other juices read label's if they don't like something' s find an alternative or add ovaltine etc